I. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Application

1. Introduction

This document provides instructions for using the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) Application. The PHZM User Guide is a reference tool to assist you with obtaining plant hardiness zone information for your area of interest. By the end of this guide, you will be able to obtain plant hardiness zone information from a plant hardiness ZIP Code Finder, from static map images and through an interactive GIS-based map.

2. USDA PHZM Home Page

The USDA PHZM Home page consists of a Plant Hardiness ZIP Code Finder and static images of the plant hardiness zone map for the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

i. Plant Hardiness ZIP Code Finder

The Plant Hardiness ZIP Code Finder allows you to retrieve a plant hardiness zone and temperature range for a ZIP Code using the following steps. First, make sure you are in the Home Page or select the Home tab on the toolbar to return to the Home page.

Step 2: Answer CAPTCHA Challenge
A CAPTCHA Challenge will be displayed the first time you access the ZIP Code Finder from the home page. Enter the displayed CAPTCHA phrase in the Enter code field and click Validate. If you need audio assistance, click the Audio button to activate the CAPTCHA audio. Click the Reload button to refresh (change) the CAPTCHA image.

ii. Static Map Images

There are two ways to access static map images of the plant hardiness zone map for the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico; each option is described below. To access, first make sure you are in the Home page or select the Home tab on the toolbar to return to the Home page.

Option 1
Click on a state in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico on the plant hardiness zone map.

A new pop-up window will display the selected plant hardiness zone map. To close the map, click the X button in the top right-hand corner of the pop-up window.

Option 2
Select a state (including Puerto Rico) from the View Your State Map drop-down menu.

Click on a state (including Puerto Rico) in the drop-down menu.

A new pop-up window will display the selected plant hardiness zone map. To close the map, click the X button in the top right-hand corner of the pop-up window.

3. USDA PHZM View Maps Page

The USDA PHZM View Maps page consists of a three-step wizard (i.e., selection process) to obtain state, regional or national plant hardiness zone maps in three different dots-per-inch (dpi) resolutions.

i. View Maps Wizard

Access state, regional or national plant hardiness zone maps in three different resolutions using the following steps. To access the Wizard, make sure you are in the View Maps page or select the View Maps tab on the toolbar to return to the View Maps page.

Step 1: Choose a geography – Select the State, Regional or National button.

After selection, a drop-down menu will appear. Select the state, region, or national map of interest. If State is selected, the drop-down menu will default to a list of state maps. If Regional is selected, the drop-down menu will default to a list of regional maps. If National is selected, the drop-down menu will default to a list of national maps.

Step 2: Select a resolution – After the geography selection, select the Standard, Medium, or High resolution button.

Step 3: View a map – After the resolution selection, you have three options for accessing the map: Preview Map, Open Full Map, or Save Full Map. These options are further described in the next section. Select one of the options, and you should be able to access your map accordingly.

4. USDA PHZM About Pages

i. About Page Content

There are two ways to access About page content; each option is described below. To access, make sure you are in the About page or select the About tab on the toolbar to return to the About page.

Option 1 – About Page Drop-Down Menu
Place your cursor over the About tab on the toolbar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click the topic of interest, and the information will be displayed within the PHZM window.

Option 2 – About Page Topics
Click a page of interest in the About Topics box on the left side of the PHZM window. The page of interest will display in the PHZM window.

Multi-ZIP Code Finder: This selection provides an external link to Climate Source, Inc., which provides a multiple or "batch-mode" ZIP Code finder that may be purchased by the user. This application allows the user to match hundreds or thousands of 5-digit ZIP Codes with the appropriate USDA Plant Hardiness Zone.

Step 1: Accessing the Map Downloads page
There are two ways to access the Map Downloads page; each option is described below. First, make sure you are in the Map & Data Downloads page or select the Map & Data Downloads tab on the toolbar to return to the Map & Data Downloads page.

Option 2 – Map & Data Downloads Topics
Click the Map Downloads link in the Map & Data Downloads Topics box on the left side of the PHZM.

Step 2: Selecting Desired Map
Once you have opened the Map Downloads page, you can scroll down the page to select from a choice of Print Quality Maps, Simplified Map Components, and Previous Edition of the Map. Each is described below.

Print Quality Maps are very large files and may take a long time to download. Most of the file formats are intended for graphic artists using specialized software. Very high-resolution posters of the PHZM can also be printed from these files. To open your choice, click the title.

Simplified Map Components are individual pieces of the map (title, legend, etc.) and several versions of the PHZM which can be utilized when displaying less detail is preferred. To open these files, scroll to the appropriate selection and click on the desired file. The file will open in a new Internet Browser window.

Previous Edition of the Map gives you access to the previous edition of the USDA PHZM. To open either the United States version or the complete map (all of North America), click the title of the file. The corresponding Previous Edition PHZM map will open in a new Internet Browser window.

ii. Geography (GIS) Downloads

The Geography (GIS) Downloads page provides access to downloadable GIS data used for generating the maps. Follow the steps below to access the data.

Step 1: Access the Geography (GIS) Downloads page
There are two ways to access the Geography (GIS) Downloads page; each option is described below. First, make sure you are in the Map & Data Downloads Page or select the Map & Data Downloads tab on the toolbar to return to the Map & Data Downloads page.

iii. Multi-ZIP Code Finder

This selection provides an external link to Climate Source, Inc., which provides a multiple or "batch-mode" ZIP Code finder that may be purchased. This application allows the user to match hundreds or thousands of 5-digit ZIP Codes with the appropriate USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. To access, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Access the Multi-ZIP Code Finder page
There are two ways to access the Multi-Zip Code Finder page; each option is described below. First, make sure you are in the Map & Data Downloads Page or select the Map & Data Downloads tab on the toolbar to return to the Map & Data Downloads page.

Option 2 – Multi-ZIP Code Finder Topics
Click the Multi-ZIP Code Finder link in the Map & Data Downloads Topics box on the left side of the PHZM. The Multi-ZIP Code Finder page will appear in the PHZM window.

Step 2: Access the Multi-ZIP Code Finder
Click the Climate Source Web Site button at the bottom of the Multi-ZIP Code Finder page. A new Internet Browser window will open to the Climate Source website.

6. USDA PHZM Interactive Map Page

The USDA PHZM Interactive Map page is a dynamic viewer of plant hardiness zones for the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

i. Access the Interactive Map Viewer

To open the interactive map viewer, select the Interactive Map tab on the blue toolbar.

When the Interactive Map Viewer first loads, a CAPTCHA challenge will be displayed. Enter the
displayed CAPTCHA phrase in the Enter Code field and click Validate. CAPTCHA challenges are case
sensitive. If you need audible assistance to fill in the CAPTCHA challenge, click the Audio button.
Click the Reload button to refresh (change) the CAPTCHA image.

ii. Interactive Map Viewer Tools

In the Interactive Map Viewer, there are map tools that serve various basic map functions. The table below shows each of those tools and how to use them.

Tool

Actions

To pan and zoom, use your mouse and scroll wheel, the arrow keys on your keyboard, or the zoom slider on the left side of your map. To zoom in, you can also hold down the SHIFT key and drag a box on the map.

The interactive map is a multilayered map with the zone colors overlaying the selected basemap option (Terrain, Road Map, and Satellite Image). This feature adjusts the transparency of the zone colors, enabling the underlying attributes of the selected base map to be more or less apparent. Sliding the scale to the left makes the zone colors more transparent. Sliding the scale to the right makes the zone colors more opaque.

Check the 'Turn on Basemap Roads and Labels' box to display roads and labels on the displayed basemap. This option is available only for Terrain and Satellite Image basemap choices.

Click the Hide Legend box to display the map legend.

Choose Location displays Lower 48 States as the default location. You can change the location by clicking the Choose Location drop-down menu to switch between Lower 48 States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Choose Basemap displays Terrain as the default basemap. You can change basemaps by clicking the Choose Basemap drop-down menu to switch between Terrain, Road Map, and Satellite Image.

Click Help with this map to get Interactive Map instructions and definitions of terms.

Enter a five-digit ZIP Code into the ZIP Code search field and click the Locate button. The location will be displayed on the map, and the map will zoom to that location.

iii. Viewing Plant Hardiness Zone Data

You can access plant hardiness zone data for any location on the Interactive Map by clicking once on the location of interest. When you click on that location, the data for that location is displayed in a pop-up box. The pop-up box displays the Plant Hardiness Zone, Average Temperature (Fahrenheit), Temperature Range (Fahrenheit) and the Longitude and Latitude.

Note: After every 25 clicks, you will be presented with another CAPTCHA Challenge. This challenge is to prevent automated robots from unauthorized access to map information and overloading system access.

7. USDA PHZM Help Page

The USDA PHZM Help page consists of information on how to use this website and the ability to send an e-mail directly to the USDA. Both options are available from the "Help" tab.

i. How to Use This Website

Step 1: Access the How to Use This Website page
There are two ways to access the How to Use This Website page; each option is described below. First, make sure you are in the Help page or select the Help tab on the toolbar to return to the Help page.

Option 1 – Help Drop-Down Menu
Place your cursor over the Help tab on the toolbar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click How to Use This Website. The How to Use This Website page will appear in the PHZM windoww.

Option 2 – Help Topics
Click the How to Use This Website link in the Help Topics box on the left side of the PHZM.

Step 2: Access PHZM HelpDoc
There are two ways to access the How to Use This Website page; each option is described below. First, make sure you are in the Help page or select the Help tab on the toolbar to return to the Help page.

The PHZM HelpDoc will open in Adobe PDF in a new Internet Browser window.

ii. Contact USDA-ARS

Step 1: Access the Contact USDA-ARS Link
This feature allows the user to send e-mail inquiries relating to the PHZM to the USDA–ARS (Agricultural Research Service). There are two ways to access the Contact USDA-ARS link; each option is described below. First, make sure you are in the Help page or select the Help tab on the toolbar to return to the Help page.

Option 1 – Help Drop-Down Menu
Place your cursor over the Help tab on the toolbar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Contact USDA-ARS. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) page will appear in the main window.

Option 2 – Help Topics
Click the Contact USDA-ARS link in the Help Topics box on the left side of the PHZM window. The Contact USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) page will appear in the main window.

Step 2: Send an e-mail to the USDA Agricultural Research Service
Once the Contact USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) page appears, click the e-mail link at the top of the page.

Your default computer mail client will appear. For example, if you have Microsoft Outlook installed on your computer, the following will appear.

If you do not have a default e-mail client on your computer, you can copy the e-mail address and paste it into a different e-mail client (e.g., Google Gmail, Yahoo).

Step 3: Access the USDA Ask the Expert forum
This link is used to send inquiries which are more general in nature and not related to the PHZM. To access the USDA Ask the Expert forum, click the Ask The Expert link that appears on the Contact USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) page.

2. USDA PHZM Home Page

The USDA PHZM Home Page includes a Plant Hardiness ZIP Code Finder.

i. Plant Hardiness ZIP Code Finder

The Plant Hardiness ZIP Code Finder allows you to search a plant hardiness zone and temperature range for a ZIP Code using the following steps. First, make sure you are in the Home Page or select the Home tab on the toolbar to return to the Home page.

Step 2: Access the ZIP Code Finder
Enter a five-digit ZIP Code in the Enter ZIP Code search field and click the Find button. The plant hardiness zone and temperature range will be displayed below the search field (the CAPTCHA challenge will disappear).

3. USDA PHZM View Maps Page

i. View Maps

The View Maps page allows you to access state, regional and national plant hardiness zone maps in three different resolutions (72, 150, and 300 dpi). First, make sure you are in the View Maps page or select the View Maps tab on the toolbar to return to the View Maps page.

Step 1: Access Standard 72 dpi Resolution National Maps
For standard resolution (72 dpi) national maps, click either US Zone Map or US Zone Map – without A and B zone divisions.

Step 2: Download Standard 72 dpi Resolution National Maps
Your default browser download window will appear, prompting you to open the file or save the file to your computer. Select "Save File" to save it locally.

Step 6: Download Standard 72 dpi Resolution State Maps
Select a state and click the Download button. Your default browser download window will appear and will allow you to save the file to your computer.